Groundbreaking for new White Center Library will be Thursday, March 19

Groundbreaking for the new White Center Library – to be located at 1409 SW 107th Street – is set for Thursday, March, 19 at 3 p.m.
The current White Center branch, which was opened in 1976, is located at 11220 16th Ave SW, just on the northern edge of Burien's city limits. The new location will be in the unincorporated area, just to the east and behind Yarington's Funeral Home.
The planning and design process - being done by Architect NBBJ – is underway for a new 10,000 square foot library, which the King County Library System says will have "more materials, computers, wireless ...

WestSide Baby’s Annual Tea to benefit local children will be Sunday, Mar. 1

WestSide Baby will host its 14th-Annual Benefit Tea on Sunday, March 1, raising funds to provide essentials to local children in need.
The Tea, held at the Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center, marks WestSide Baby’s largest event of the year, with more than 600 supporters gathering for a lively afternoon of tea and philanthropic inspiration.
The 2015 Tea centers on need in our community that is often kept hidden from sight, and understanding how together we can help children grow up safe and healthy. Raising Change President and CEO Kathy LeMay will highlight the afternoon with a keynote address focusing on ...

KING Aquatic Club launching new site at Evergreen Community Aquatic Center

The KING Aquatic Club, a USA Swimming Gold Medal Swim Club, will be launching a new site at the Evergreen Community Aquatic Center (ECAC) in White Center starting on Monday, Feb. 16.
Established in 1966, King Aquatic Club (KING) is the premier youth sports program in the Seattle-Tacoma Metropolitan area. KING is a USA Swimming year-round competitive swim team offering high quality professional coaching and technique instruction for swimmers of all ages and abilities. As a member club of Pacific Northwest Swimming and a USA Swimming Gold Medal Club, the goal of KING is to provide every member an opportunity to ...

The first round of results for Tuesday's (Feb. 10) Special Election were released at 8:04 p.m., and the early tallies show that the Highline School District Levy is passing with a 57.47% approval, while the Bond is struggling with just under 54% approval.
Proposition No. 1 (the Levy) requires a simple majority, while Proposition No. 2 (the Bond) requires a 60% yes vote "with a minimum turnout of 12,572."
With 17,572 counted, here are the first returns:
Highline School District No. 401 Proposition No. 1 (requires simple majority):
Yes: 9981 57.47%
No: 7386 42.53%
Highline School District No. 401 Proposition No. 2 (requires 60% supermajority/12,572 turnout):
Approved: 9413 53.94%
Rejected: 8037 ...

[caption id="attachment_82208" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Darcy Smith, center, when she was named "Teacher of the Year" in 2012. Also pictured is Deputy Superintendent Carla Jackson, left, and Interim Superintendent Alan Spicciati, right. Photo courtesy Highline Public Schools.[/caption]
by Jack Mayne
A woman who just three years ago was named regional "Teacher of the Year" (read our original report here) has been charged with child rape of a teenage boy that she had taken in to live with her in her Renton home.
Darcy M. Smith, 41, recently a teacher at McMicken Heights Elementary School is charged with abusing a boy for more than two ...

SoKing Internet Radio receives prestigious grant to create Newscasts

Four startups – including our very own SoKing Internet Radio – have been awarded $12,000 each in national Encore Media Entrepreneurs funding, J-Lab announced on Thursday (Feb. 5).
SoKing Internet Radio will use the grant money to create daily Newcasts that feature "hyperlocal" news, curated from South King Media's six community blogs covering South King County.
The four initiatives were among 82 applications received in J-Lab’s Masters Mediapreneurs initiative to help seed media startups launched by Baby Boomers, aged 50-plus.
Scott Schaefer, founder of The B-Town/White Center Blogs and parent company South King Media, will lead SKiR's new project.
“This will allow us to start up a truly innovative ...

‘Empty Bowls’ sets record with over 1,200 attendees and over $21,000 raised

This year’s 10th anniversary of 'Empty Bowls' was a huge success and broke all fundraising and attendance records with over 1,200 in attendance donating over $21,000.
The proceeds raised from this event benefit the White Center and Highline Food Banks.
"Thank you to everyone who attended, donated and volunteered," reads an announcement.
Discover Burien and Burien Parks and Recreation teamed up with Moshier potters, who donated over 1,300 bowls, to host Empty Bowls every year. Empty Bowls events can be found around the country raising money to combat hunger in our communities
There were over 22 local restaurants, caterers and facilities that donated over 5 ...

Say hello to the ‘Highline Bears’ – semi-pro Baseball returning to the area

In the 1950's, 60's and 70's, White Center Stadium (now Steve Cox Memorial Park) was the home of men's semi-professional baseball and professional fast pitch softball teams.
Several hundred adults, kids and families would fill the stands and sit along the fences watching a high level of baseball under the lights on Friday and Saturday nights. The stadium hosted former professional baseball players, college athletes with dreams of making it to the big's and men's fast pitch teams like Pay n' Pak and the King & His Court.
After the original wood stadium burnt down in the late 1970's, baseball slowly faded ...

Groundbreaking for the new White Center Library – to be located at 1409 SW 107th Street – is set for Thursday, March, 19 at 3 p.m.
The current White Center branch, which was opened in 1976, is located... [Read more]

WCB Real Estate Sponsor Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Northwest’s Open House – set for both this Saturday and Sunday from Noon–3 p.m. – is a classic Daylight/Basement rambler in Burien!
This... [Read more]

WestSide Baby will host its 14th-Annual Benefit Tea on Sunday, March 1, raising funds to provide essentials to local children in need.
The Tea, held at the Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center,... [Read more]

WCB Real Estate Sponsor Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Northwest’s Open House – set for this Sunday from 1–4 p.m. – is a move-in ready, one-bedroom condo in the Viewcrest Community priced... [Read more]

King County Executive Dow Constantine on Thursday (Feb. 19) announced 36 grants that will support grassroot projects and activities in unincorporated areas, such as summer music festivals, neighborhood... [Read more]

The KING Aquatic Club, a USA Swimming Gold Medal Swim Club, will be launching a new site at the Evergreen Community Aquatic Center (ECAC) in White Center starting on Monday, Feb. 16.
Established in 1966,... [Read more]

The first round of results for Tuesday’s (Feb. 10) Special Election were released at 8:04 p.m., and the early tallies show that the Highline School District Levy is passing with a 57.47% approval, while... [Read more]

Our latest Advertiser Highline Citizens for Schools says “Vote YES for Schools by February 10″:
Ballots must be mailed by Tuesday to count in the February 10 election. Vote YES for on the school... [Read more]

Darcy Smith, center, when she was named “Teacher of the Year” in 2012. Also pictured is Deputy Superintendent Carla Jackson, left, and Interim Superintendent Alan Spicciati, right. Photo courtesy... [Read more]

Four startups – including our very own SoKing Internet Radio – have been awarded $12,000 each in national Encore Media Entrepreneurs funding, J-Lab announced on Thursday (Feb. 5).
SoKing Internet Radio... [Read more]